Hoop-forming machine



I. E. wR |&HTL HOOP FORMING MACHINE. APPLICATIQN FILE-D APR-19,1920. 13426;)28, Patented Aug. 15, 1922.-

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

INVENTOR;

James ATTORNEYS J. E. WRIGHT- HOOP FORMING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 19, 1920.

Patented Ailg. 15, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ATTORNEYQ STAIEfi earner aorrms.

JAMES E. WEIGHT, 016 BAY CITY, MICHIGAN.

HOOP-FORMING MACHINE.

Application filed April 19, 1920. Serial 375,016.

machine which will bend green or dry stock into hoops at a comparatively high rate of speed and with absolutely nobreakage whatsoever.

A further object is to provide a machine Which will bend any specie of timber into hoops or strips of wood for various other purposes and which willalso bend crossgrained wood withpractically no breakage.

A further object still is to provide a very simple compact and inexpensive machine which will pucker or crimp the inner surface of the strip and which will also stretch the outer surface so that it may be're'adily formed as required.

With the above and. other objects in view, the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of different parts, hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes may be'made in the form, size,'proportion and minor details, without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings:

, Fig. 1 is a side view of my improved hoop or strip formlng machine.

Fig. 2 is a front view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view. a

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view illustrating thecrimping roller and the hoop. 1

Fig. 5 is a side view of a similar machine showing it provided with a flexible endless steel belt or chain, and

Fig. 6 is a side View of the same.

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the same, and

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view of a crimping wheel which can be used for forming the corners on strips used for square boxes.

In the hoop industry it has heretofore been impossible to form hoops out of dry material, it being absolutely necessary to use Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented Au .15, 1922.

green timber and then steam or boil the timber in order that the hoops may be readily formed, also, it-has been necessary to use a certain kind of timber,'exclusively for this purpose, said timber beinggrained length-v wise, and being peculiarly adapted when With steamed, for the making of hoops.

my improved machine any kind of timber I can be used'regardless of the grain, the hoops being coiled dry and being equal in every way to theelm hoop now .in use, drivng equally aswell on the barrel,.requiring less machinery to make, bringing/about a great saving in timber, and being easier to handle in every way, this machine can also be used for making strips for various other purposes and I do not wish to be confined merely to the making of hoops. v

In the accompanying drawing I have shown two alternate forms of my improved hoop forming machine, the "preferred form being shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 of the d w;

ings, and the alternate form beingshown lnFigs. 5, 6 and 7. This machine comprises framemembers 1 0 which are adapted to .rest

on the floor, being secured together in any approved manner, a crimping -wheel 11 formed in the. shape of a gear andprovided around l'US' outer periphery with a plurality of crimping teeth, being. carried on a shaft. member 12 set in sultable bearings jourbers 13 which act as guides. for the stock as it is being fedlthrough the machine. Located directly above the said crimping Wheel naled in the frame of the machine, and has bolted thereto the upstanding flange memis .a pressure roller 14: j ourna'led in boxes 15 terposed between the top of the frame and the saidpressure rol1er 15 so that upon madesired pressure can be exerted on the pressure roller, and it will be understood that said pressure roller is free to move vertically in the machine to accommodate the stock as it is being fed beneath same.

In practisethe hoops are formed with a beveled side in order that they will conform to the bilge of the barrel when formed, and it is therefore necessary that the outer edgeof the teeth on the said crimping wheel be slightly beveled to conform thereto, and in order that the pressure roller may'not continuously ride on the flanges of the crimpslidably mounted on the frame, and being I nipulation of the adjusting wheel 17, any

the machine, a set screw 18 is provided being threaded into the frame directly beneath the bearings 15, and acting as a stop to limit the downward movement of the said pressure roller. For guiding the stock around the crimping wheel and preventing the lateral displacement thereof, a flexible belt 19 is secured in a slotted opening 20 in the frame of the machine, this belt comprises a plurality of small roller members 21, which as the stock travels around the crimping wheel, tends to stretch the outer surface thereof, the teeth on the crimping wheel crimping the inner side of the hoop and making it more flexible, that is, puclrering the wood which would otherwise have to be compressed, in order to allow the hoop to be formed, this flexible belt extends around in under the machine, the end thereof, being held by spring tension which can be of any convenient form. In the present instance I have shown it as attached to a lever 22 which I have pivoted to a portion 23 of the frame 10, a rod member 24 being pivotally secured to the opposite end of the lever, thence extending through a suitable opening formed in the member 25 secured to the frame, and provided with a threaded end portion on which an adjusting nut 26 is threaded, a compression spring 27 being interposed between the member 25 and the adjusting nut 26, for exerting a continuous tension on the said flexible belt.

One of the frame members 10 is provided with a laterally extending arm 28 in which one end of the shaft member 16 is j ournaled, aspur gear 29 being mounted on the said shaft and is adapted to mesh with a spur pinion 30 which is in turn driven in any suitable manner from any source of power, this. is however immaterial, as the machine can be driven in a number of different ways.

The flanges 17 which act as a guide for the stock also act as a protection for the teeth on the crimping wheel, for instance, when the machine is running and no stock is passing through same, the pressure roller (should the adjustment permit) will ride on the said flanges, as will alsothe rollers comprising the flexible'chain, the stock however being of sufficient thickness to extend slightly above the top of the said flanges as shown in F 4-. The stock which is cut to a pre determined length is fed into the machine by the operator standing directly in front thereof, the pressure roller forcingthe stock down until the teeth bite into and crimp the said stock, thence striking the end of the flexible belt or chain, raising same, as shown in dotted lines, to allow the stock to feed therebeneath and around the crimping wheel.

In Fig. 5 an alternate form of belt is shown, this belt comprising an endless chain revolving around the gear members 31 set ing or waving it on the inner surface, making it flexible and easy to bend, therefore the outer surface of the hoop neednot be excessively stretched to allow it to be formed to shape, and such stretching as is necessary is performed by this plurality of rollers or chain, which lrneads the outer surface while maintaining a continuous pressure thereon.

Fromthe foregoing descriptionvit will be obvious that l have perfected a very simple and economical hoop forming machine, capable of forming the uncooked timber of any kind, either cross-grained or straight grained, into satisfactory and saleable hoops.

WVhat I claim is:

1. A hoop forming machine comprising a frame, a crimping wheel mounted in the frame and having crimping teeth to engage the inner face of the stock, a fiexiblemember extending partially around the crimping wheel concentric with the same and provided at intervals with means for engaging, kneading, and stretching the outer face of the stock while the opposite portion of the inner face is being crimped, and means for rotating the crimping wheel.

2. A hoop forming machine comprising a frame, a crimping wheel having crimping teeth to engage the inner face of the stock, a flexible belt extending partially around the crimping wheel concentric with the same and provided at intervals with rollers engaging, kneading, and stretching the outer face of the stock while the opposite portion of the inner face of the same is being crimped, and means for rotating the crimping wheel. I

3. A hoop forming machine comprising a frame, a crimping wheel mounted in the frame and provided at opposite sides. with circumferential guide flanges and provided between the same with laterally bevelled crimping teeth for engaging the inner face of the stock, a flexible member extending partially around the crimping wheel concentric with the same for pressing the stock against the said teeth of the crimping wheel, and means for rotating the crimping wheel.

4. A hoop forming machine comprising a frame, a crimping wheel mounted in the frame, a flexible member extending partially around the crimping wheel concentric with the same and secured at one end tothe no stock is in the machine, and means for frame, a lever pivoted between its ends and connected at its inner end with the free end ofthe flexible member, and a tensioningi device connected with the outer end of the lever. I

5. A hoop forming machine comprising a frame, a crimping wheel mounted in the frame and provided with crimping teeth to engage the inner face of the stock, said crimping wheel being provided at opposite sides with circumferential flanges, a flexible belt extending partially around the crimping wheel concentric with the same and provided at intervals with rollers arranged to engage and knead the outer face of the stock, said flanges of the crimping wheel being arranged to receive and support the flexible belt to prevent the same from coming in contact with the crimping teeth when rotating the crimping wheel.

6. A hoop forming machine comprising frame, a crimping wheel mounted in the frame and provided wit-h crimping teeth arranged to engage the inner face of the stock, said crimping wheel being also pro vided at opposite sides with projecting cir- I cumferential flanges, a flexible member extending partially around the crimping wheel concentric with the same for holding the material against the crimping teeth,a spring tensioned pressure roller mounted above the crimping wheel and adapted to engage the stock and adjustable stops ar-' ranged to limit the downward movement of the pressure roller to prevent the same from riding on the said flanges.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JAMES E. WRIGHT. 

